5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The natch'l blues and some Stax/Volt-type soul as well, 25 Jan 2004
Henry St. Clair Fredericks' first album, the eponymous "Taj Mahal", was a stripped-down collection of superbly produced acoustic Delta blues, and his second album, "The Natch'l Blues", opens with more of the same.
But the scope quickly broadens, as Al Kooper is added on organ, and the album then moves on to a much bigger sound, as Taj Mahal is backed by a full electric combo on songs like "The Caught The Katy" and "The Cuckoo", and a soul-rendition of "You Don't Miss Your Water".
Depending on your taste, this album is either better than its predecessor because of its greater variety, or slightly lesser because it lacks some of the originality and the sparse, "bluesy" feel of "Taj Mahal".
The slightly stereotypical soul of "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Ain't That A Lotta Love" may not be to everybody's liking, but Taj Mahal's rendition of "She Caught The Katy", and his own "Corrina", "I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll", "Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue", and the jazzy "Good Morning Miss Brown" are all excellent, as is the band and the clear, uncluttered production.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Facing that awkward second album without Ry Cooder!, 11 Jan 2011
If you ignore 'The Rising Sons' as a collection of previously unreleased studio out-takes, following your first album 'Taj Mahal' without the wonderful Ry Cooder on guitar would have been a scary prospect for most artists, but not for Taj! While Cooder was absent recording his own (and contributing to a virtual who's who of 70's blues, rock and country) albums and declining a place in the Rolling Stones after teaching Keith Richards the wonders of openG guitar tuning, Taj Mahal simply recruited Jesse Ed Davis!
Davis' excellent playing helped Taj Mahal present us with something amazing - a glimpse of what it might have been like (if recording had been of this quality) to hear the best elderly blues musicians in their much younger days.
If you like blues and soul, and you allow this album to grow on you, it could well demand a place in your top twenty - trust me, it's that good!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best, but pretty darn good, 11 Jun 2006
This was the first Taj album I bought so I didn't realise that it was perhaps a bit of a departure from his style at that time.
Despite the attempts to "produce" most of the tracks survive and the rawness of his early style battles through. Interesting to note that just about the only real blues in "The Blues Brothers" is "She Caught the Katy"
The USA version has been re-mastered with new tracks, perhaps this will be available soon and make this easier to get. If the the first and third are in your collection buy it when you can.
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